Mumbai Amidst infighting in the state Congress, senior leader and former party president Rahul Gandhi will visit Maharashtra as part of the 3,500 km long ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in October.
Gandhi’s foot-march, which is expected to be launched on October 2 from Kanyakumari, will cover the 3,500 km distance to Kashmir in 148 days. The mass contact campaign will mark the 75th Independence Day and will focus on taking the party’s ideas to the masses and highlight the failures of the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Gandhi is expected to cover around 380 km in around eight districts in the state and hold 10 public meetings.
“Rahulji will be in Maharashtra for 16 days and will cover a 381 km route. Starting from Kanyakumari, he will travel through Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and enter Maharashtra at Nanded. He will cover Nanded, Hingoli, Washim, Akola, Buldhana and Jalgaon… and parts of Latur district and then enter Madhya Pradesh,” said Congress legislature party leader and former revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat.
Thorat, who is among those who are co-ordinating the exercise, however said that while the dates were yet to be finalised, he is expected to reach the state by October-end or November. On Friday, senior Congress leaders met in Mumbai to discuss the campaign and its itinerary.
A senior Congress leader said that during these 16 days in Maharashtra, Gandhi was expected to address 10 public meetings on his route. He will be accompanied by state and central leaders of the party and will talk about issues concerning farmers, youth, women, inflation and unemployment.